Give ear, ye heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth!
Moses is at the end of his life. Instead of a farewell speech, he leaves Israel a song. Its opening words do not address Israel at all. They call the sky and the ground to listen. Why summon creation as an audience, and what is so weighty that heaven and earth must hear it?
The song was not Moses' own idea. God ordered it, and told him in advance why he had to write it and teach it.
Two songs are attributed to Moses. He and the children of Israel sang the first at the start of his forty years of ministry, just after they had crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-18)… He composed the second at the end, just before he died. There is no sign that anyone ever sang it. The instructions were, "Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel" (Deuteronomy 31:19).
The content is severe. The form is deliberate.
They are now to hear in the words of his closing song the testimony to their treachery and God's faithfulness. He proclaims it in the form of a song, because the spirit of praise must run through even the most solemn condemnation of evil… It is as though we are not to dwell on evil in a way that crushes the soul — on the degradation of man, his rebellion and hostility to God, and the foolishness and waywardness of His own people. Instead we are to view it all with Moses in song, celebrating and declaring God's victory over all evil, and His final triumph for His people as well.
Moses does not open by addressing Israel. He opens with creation, because his subject is that big.
Moses began his song by calling heaven and earth to hear the words of his mouth. What he was about to say concerned indeed heaven and earth. Isaiah too began his book with the same call (Isaiah 1:2).
Another writer asks who is really being called, and what the song is really about.
Moses calls the heavens to hear, at the opening of his majestic song. He calls not only the material heavens, but the intelligent heavens, to hear something about Jehovah. The great theme is not the people and their failures, but the faithfulness of God.
The opening of the song also shows how its words are meant to reach the hearer.
These four verses open the song of Moses, and they are both magnificent and beautiful. He calls the heavens and the earth to hear the faithful words from the mouth of the Lord. His teaching drops as the rain. It falls not like a cloudburst, but as the refreshing, nourishing dew on the land, or as showers on the grass. How well it would be with us if we received it as such, appreciating its living value and refreshment. For it begins, not with what we may selfishly desire for our advantage, but with proclaiming the name of the Lord.
Moses names his subject at once. That subject also shows up what the people are.
Because he would publish the name of Jehovah, they were to ascribe greatness to their God. He is the rock abiding in unshakeable strength for His people. Not they, but He, is this tower of strength… As for the people, it was clear what they were. The corruption was theirs, not His; it is that of His children, theirs is the blemish — a perverse and crooked generation.
The opening call prepares for a survey that runs far past Moses' own day.
The song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32 and Revelation 15:3) is a wonderful summary of God's ways with Israel. It gives God's sovereign call of that nation, their perverseness, their defeat by enemies as a result, and their scattering. Then it gives the final overthrow of those enemies, and the recovery of both land and people through sovereign mercy, to enjoy the favour of Jehovah along with the spared nations.
- Witness. God commanded the song, and had Moses write it and teach it, so that it would stand as a witness against Israel.
- Summons. Moses calls heaven and earth because his subject reaches that far. Isaiah later opens his book the same way.
- Manner. The words are to fall as rain and dew, refreshing rather than flattening those who receive them.
- Name. The call to listen has one purpose: to publish the name of the Lord, so that the people ascribe greatness to Him alone.
- Outcome. The rest of the song traces Israel's failure, scattering and recovery. The blemish is theirs; the faithfulness is His.
My doctrine shall drop as rain, My speech flow down as dew, As small rain upon the tender herb, And as showers on the grass.
Moses is about to die. His last public act is a song, and it opens not with warnings but with rain and dew. Why should teaching come down so gently, and what makes it give life instead of crushing?
Where else does Scripture use the words "drop" and "distil"?
Scripture uses this word for "rain," as in Judges 5:4: "The clouds also dropped water"; and, "He draws up the drops of water" (Job 36:27). Growing out of this, the same word describes speech flowing out, or distilling: "My speech dropped upon them; and they waited for me as for the rain" (Job 29:22); "Your lips drop as the honeycomb." This last might well find its explanation in the direct language of the New Testament: "All bore Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth" (Luke 4:22).
How teaching comes matters as much as what it says. So does how we receive it.
His teaching drops as the rain, not like a cloudburst, but as the refreshing, nourishing dew on the land or as showers on the grass. How well it would be with us if we received it as such, appreciating its living value and refreshment. For it begins, not with what we may selfishly desire for our advantage, but with proclaiming the name of the Lord. The honor of His name is far above every other consideration.
The refreshing comes from the subject: God Himself.
The great theme is not the people and their failures, but the faithfulness of God... In a drought everything looks burnt up and lifeless. Then a shower of rain brings life and strength to the earth. In the same way, proclaiming the name of Jehovah revives His people and makes them like a well-watered garden. When we hear what God is for us through the risen Christ, it should have the same effect. It should refresh us and cheer us in all the care, discouragement and distress of these days. Nothing in God's universe can lift our heads like the knowledge of God.
Refreshment like this does not depend on circumstances.
Come what may, the Name of our God shall stand for ever. No power of earth or hell can possibly counter the divine purpose, or hinder the outshining of the divine glory. What sweet rest this gives the heart, in the middle of this dark, sorrowful, sin-stricken world... Proclaiming that blessed Name must always be like refreshing dew and tender rain falling on the heart.
The rest of the song carries severe warnings.
Strong warnings were needed for this murmuring, disobedient people. What was the best way to present them? He composed the song! But he did not begin with the warnings. He began by inviting heaven and earth to hear the words of his mouth. His words were not ordinary words. They were pure words of instruction that would fall as rain, heavy at times, but they were also gentle words.
Moses reached this gentleness the hard way.
Leaders could fail. Moses had. His failure had painful consequences. He had once spoken badly and called God's people "rebels." He had not set God apart before the eyes of the people. And God denied him the privilege of bringing His people into the Promised Land. Even the meekest man in all the earth had used hard words, but now at the end of his life his speech could distil as the dew.
One writer sees the verse answered in someone greater than Moses.
Moses might proclaim the name of Jehovah, but here was the One who revealed the Father; he might ascribe greatness to God, but here was the One who unfolded His love. Surely His teaching dropped as the rain, His speech distilled as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb.
This gentle work is not limited to great speakers.
How sweet to think of the dew as a figure of the refreshment we may be to others! It is not conspicuous; it does not call attention to itself; but it is there, and you know it by the effect it produces... some who were neither great preachers, nor eloquent teachers, nor prominent workers. Yet you could not be with them without feeling the sweetness and fragrance of the very presence of Christ. Why was this? Because their own souls were enjoying His presence, without thinking of the effect on others. He is as the dew to His own.
- Rain — "drop" and "distil" describe falling water, and Scripture uses the same verb for speech.
- Measure — not a cloudburst, but nourishing dew and showers, given in a form we can take in.
- Name — what refreshes is the subject: God's Name proclaimed, which stands for ever and gives the heart rest.
- Distilling — the man who once spoke harshly ends his life with speech pure enough to fall as dew.
- Dew — the same refreshment can pass through us, quiet and known only by the effect it leaves.
For the name of Jehovah will I proclaim Ascribe greatness unto our God!
Moses is at the end of his life, and he opens his final song not with Israel's record but with God's name. It holds a promise and a command. Moses will proclaim who the LORD is. His hearers must give God the greatness.
Older translations read "I will publish the name of Jehovah" where the ESV has "proclaim the name of the LORD." One writer links "publish" to Exodus, where God proclaimed His own name to Moses.
There is an interesting connection between this scripture and Exodus 34:5-6. You can see this once you notice that the word "publish" in Deuteronomy is the same word as "proclaim" in Exodus 33 and 34… In Deuteronomy we find Moses himself proclaiming Jehovah's name. God made him the vessel of the divine testimony for that day, so he could publish it, and as purely as he received it. The lesson is this: we cannot truly preach what we have not received from the Lord. And we can only faithfully proclaim what we have received by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Why does Moses put "name" and "greatness" side by side? One writer says the two words mean nearly the same thing.
The great theme is not the people and their failures, but the faithfulness of God… There is nothing in the universe of God that can lift our heads like the knowledge of God. It lifts our hearts and our heads in praise to that God who delights to unfold Himself to our hearts. So he says, "I will publish the name of Jehovah." We are used to speaking of a name in the sense of greatness or fame. That this is the thought in this passage is clear, for Moses continues: "Ascribe greatness to our God" — the greatness He has gained for Himself in His mighty acts.
The same writer weighs two kinds of greatness against each other.
God is not only great in the sphere of power, as is seen in creation, He is morally great also. Not only great in what He has done, but great also in what He is… Which is the greater? Is it for a mighty supreme Being to send out the glorious stars that fill the heavens? Or for that same Being to bow down and take an interest in poor weak things like you and me? It is the greatness of His love and grace that engages Him with those He has created, cares for them in their sorrows and binds up the broken heart.
To ascribe greatness is to hand it over to God. One writer turns that into a rebuke aimed straight at the reader.
It is Jehovah's name they publish, that sweet and wonderful name which expresses truly what He is, and which man, having dropped out of that knowledge, so badly needs to learn. To Him they ascribe greatness; yes, to Him, O man, made out of the clay, who have ruined yourself by claiming it.
Why should announcing a name refresh anyone? One writer answers that this Name cannot be shaken.
Here lies the solid, the imperishable foundation of everything. Come what may, the Name of our God shall stand for ever. No power of earth or hell can possibly work against the divine purpose, or hinder the shining out of the divine glory. What sweet rest this gives the heart! Our world is dark, sorrowful and sin-stricken, and the schemes of the enemy seem to succeed. The publishing of that blessed Name must always fall on the heart like refreshing dew and gentle rain.
God had told Moses he would not enter the land. So his praise cost him something.
With delight, Moses proclaims the Name of Jehovah, ascribing greatness to Israel's God. If poor Israel proved himself unstable, God remained immovable. He is the Rock, and nothing would move Him from His purposes, or alter His ways… God could not let His people's sins go unpunished. He is a faithful God, without deceit. Moses knew he himself was shut out of the land because of his failure. Even so, he can still say, "Just and right is He."
What Moses did here is not the last word. One writer sets Moses beside Christ.
Moses might publish the name of Jehovah, but here was the Revealer of the Father. He might ascribe greatness to God, but here was the Unfolder of His love.
- Received — "Publish" is the same word God used when He proclaimed His own name to Moses. No one can pass on what he has not first received.
- Refreshing — The theme is God's faithfulness, not Israel's failure. That news falls on tired hearers like dew and rain.
- Great — The name means fame. God is great in the power that flung out the stars, and great in the love that stoops to weak people.
- Ascribed — Hand greatness to God; do not claim it. Man ruined himself by grasping at it.
- Unshaken — Moses sings this though he is barred from the land himself. The Name that stands for ever gives rest when everything else fails.